Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Now that VGA has finally come and gone it's time we all take a critical l@@k at some of the most hyped games of the year that were featured on the show. For me it is going to be God of War 3.

Looking back down the road--E3 2008, a very salivating CGI trailer was showed which showed Kratos on one of the roof tops on mount Olympus holding a blazing sword and promising nothing but chaos.

That video did wonders for me, it raised my expectations so high I couldn't think of anything else that will deliver as much as God of War 3. But after watching the game play video that was showed on VGA on Youtube yesterday it became obvious to me that God of War 3 was not going to be my god of all games in this time frame of console gaming, Killzone 2 will do just fine for me.

For one I didn't like the way Kratos looked in this latest trailer; he looked too skinny and too pale for my liking. I mean with all the hype about the game looking like "a painting come to life" and all those talk about it looking like nothing we have ever seen before I was expecting to see something more but it didn't happen for me. Sony, take my advice: lower the console price now! And do some serious advertising before the launch of Killzone 2. That's the only way we can get close to winning this 'war'.

Often times I read a lot of dos and don’ts on a lot of topic on blogging. If you are the type that wants to follow all those rules to the letter then I must tell you one real truth: you are missing the real thing. If I may advice you about what to do and not do on your blog then I must tell you. Honestly, do everything you can on your blog. Yes, including most of the don’ts like don't write about your cat or one of such stuffs.

The truth is that most of what you are told are the best tricks that work on the net these days are mostly experiment in progress, no proven best ways that work has really been established yet. Though, people can be akin to one style of doing things than the other. They are still some people out there who will still view you blog when you write about personal things.

So think about it what do you want your blog to be about? Your own story or a stereotype of so many out there. Just be more presentable when you write about some of those don’ts. Make the title very catchy and attractive. Everybody needs a break some times and don't forget that your readers need that too—why? Because they are humans too.

Friday, December 12, 2008

There are many creative problem solving techniques, and each will lead you to different kinds of solutions. One of the simplest, though, is the "add, subtract and change" technique. What follows is a basic explanation of how to use it to generate more creative solutions.

Add

Whatever you are working on, whether a scientific experiment, a business concept, or a personal issue with family, this technique can help. It starts with the simple question, "What can I add to this?" Open your mind up in answering this. If designing a new vehicle for people who love the outdoors, it's easy to imagine things to add; a tent platform on the roof, a skylight for star viewing, windows with screens, etc.

With other problems you will have to think more widely. For example, if you are trying to find a way to travel to India, you may not immediately think of things to "add" to the problem. Money does come to mind, though, and something as seemingly meaningless as "a group of people" might trigger the idea to go free as a guide, or to get a reduced fare for selling a tour to friends. Let a few random thoughts enter here, and see how adding this or that might lead to a new solution.

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Subtract

The second step of this creative problem solving technique is also very easy if you are just working on product innovation and invention. What can you take away from a television? How about half of the buttons on the remote, or half the weight? Look at what is there and ask what would happen if you subtracted it (or part of it). The screen? You might have a television receiver that displays through the user's computer screen.

With a business problem, like how to gain more repeat customers for your restaurant, you have to think more broadly. What if you subtract payment? Hmm... Customers order from a "subscribers menu," which includes the fast meal at a set price, billed monthly. They don't have wait for the bill. Subtract the menu? Perhaps for a discount customers would prepay for tokens good for specific meals, to be redeemed anytime. They just hand a token to the host when they walk in, and get their meal fast. Once they prepay, they have to come to your restaurant to redeem the token, thus guaranteeing repeat business.

Change

This is the fun step, where you ask what you can change about the problem or the current situation. If you are looking for a way to increase the value of your home before selling it, you ask what you can change about the home, the way you advertise it, the terms of the sale, and anything else you can think of. But to make your problem solving more creative, get a bit crazy in your questions. For example, ask, "What can I change about the buyer?" This may seem silly at first, but it also might suggest targeting a market with buyers who are willing to pay a bit more.

Look for all the things that might be changed, and all the ways you might change them. As with all problem solving techniques, the idea is to generate as many different ideas as possible. Only afterwards do you look at them more critically to find the good ones.

For example, John had a neighbor with too much junk in his yard. It was lowering the value of his home, and he planned to move in a year or so. He asked what he could change about his approach, where he lived, where the neighbor lived, the junk itself, the view, and so on. Asking about changing where the neighbor lived was not so silly as it first seemed. As it turns out, he was a renter, and wanted to move, but was short on cash. John loaned him a few hundred dollars, figuring that even if he was never repaid he would gain ten times that on the increased sale's price of his own home. That's a creative solution.

What can I add? What can I subtract? What can I change? Just ask these three questions and be open minded in answering them. That is the basis of this simple problem solving technique.

You're probably quite aware of the value of having fresh content on your website and blog. Many people who own websites visit article reprint directories on a regular basis to get new content for their sites. When you submit an article to a directory, you are allowing other website owners and loggers permission to add your article to their site - for free. However, they need to include an 'about the author' box at the end of the article. You get to write what you want included in that box, so include a bit of information about the product or service you offer and include links to your site. When your article gets used on someone's website, everyone who reads the article sees your author bio and the links back to your website. A good article can wind up on hundreds of websites, where many people can read it. And how many of those people could click your link and visit your website? These article directories are easy to find. Just do a Google search for free article directories and you'll find a bunch. Some of them are specific to certain topics, while others will accept articles on almost any subject or go to www.article-submitters.com

You can submit your article to multiple directories and you can even get software that will automate the process for you. You have virtually unlimited topics to write about. What is your website about? Get creative in thinking up topics. If someone would want to visit your website to learn something, write an article about that. For example, if you sell Tupperware you could write an article about food related topics or even about the fact that you can use those plastic containers for organizing toys, bathroom items or even screws and bolts in the garage. If you don't like writing, it's not the end of the world. You can hire ghostwriters to write the articles for you, for anywhere from $5 to $20 for a 500 word article. Once you give the ghostwriter the topic and any keywords you want to target, they'll do all the writing for you. And some will even do the submission to the article directories so you can spend your time on other tasks your article is your opportunity to establish yourself as an expert. The best articles (and the ones that are most often picked up) are focused, easy-to-understand and helpful to your readers. The article is not the place to be promoting your product or service...at least not blatantly. If your article is too self-promotional, or filled with too much hype, many sites will choose not to run it you can visit www.writing-fast-cash.com

Although some links can be helpful, too many links will often detract from the article itself. If most of those links point to your site, many publishers will be turned off. Also, many publishers will strip out all links except for those that appear in your resource box. At the risk of sounding obvious, spell checks your article and have a friend or colleague--I use my mom--double-check it for grammar, punctuation and coherence. What may be clear to you may not be clear to a layperson. That's why the best authors rely on great editors. Good Resource Box Tips The resource box is where you get "paid" for your expertise. It's for lead generation and link building. And like almost every other type of marketing out there, it's best to keep things simple and uncluttered. Most experts agree that if you try and get too promotional here you may turn off potential publishers.

A good resource box contains your name, business, and a description of your services. If possible and applicable you can include your unique selling proposition...assuming you have one. Also, make sure you include a link back to your own Web site. If you have several Web sites it may be best to just choose the one that is most closely aligned to the topic of the article.

Article Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com

About the Author:www.writing-fast-cash.com www.article-writing-secret.com /a>

You're probably quite aware of the value of having fresh content on your website and bog. Many people who own websites visit article reprint directories on a regular basis to get new content for their sites. When you submit an article to a directory, you are allowing other website owners and loggers permission to add your article to their site - for free. However, they need to include an 'about the author' box at the end of the article. You get to write what you want included in that box, so include a bit of information about the product or service you offer and include links to your site. When your article gets used on someone's website, everyone who reads the article sees your author bio and the links back to your website. A good article can wind up on hundreds of websites, where many people can read it. And how many of those people could click your link and visit your website? These article directories are easy to find. Just do a Google search for free article directories and you'll find a bunch. Some of them are specific to certain topics, while others will accept articles on almost any subject or go to www.article-submitters.com

You can submit your article to multiple directories and you can even get software that will automate the process for you. You have virtually unlimited topics to write about. What is your website about? Get creative in thinking up topics. If someone would want to visit your website to learn something, write an article about that. For example, if you sell Tupperware you could write an article about food related topics or even about the fact that you can use those plastic containers for organizing toys, bathroom items or even screws and bolts in the garage. If you don't like writing, it's not the end of the world. You can hire ghostwriters to write the articles for you, for anywhere from $5 to $20 for a 500 word article. Once you give the ghostwriter the topic and any keywords you want to target, they'll do all the writing for you. And some will even do the submission to the article directories so you can spend your time on other tasks your article is your opportunity to establish yourself as an expert. The best articles (and the ones that are most often picked up) are focused, easy-to-understand and helpful to your readers. The article is not the place to be promoting your product or service...at least not blatantly. If your article is too self-promotional, or filled with too much hype, many sites will choose not to run it you can visit www.writing-fast-cash.com

Although some links can be helpful, too many links will often detract from the article itself. If most of those links point to your site, many publishers will be turned off. Also, many publishers will strip out all links except for those that appear in your resource box. At the risk of sounding obvious, spell checks your article and have a friend or colleague--I use my mom--double-check it for grammar, punctuation and coherence. What may be clear to you may not be clear to a layperson. That's why the best authors rely on great editors. Good Resource Box Tips The resource box is where you get "paid" for your expertise. It's for lead generation and link building. And like almost every other type of marketing out there, it's best to keep things simple and uncluttered. Most experts agree that if you try and get too promotional here you may turn off potential publishers.

A good resource box contains your name, business, and a description of your services. If possible and applicable you can include your unique selling proposition...assuming you have one. Also, make sure you include a link back to your own Web site. If you have several Web sites it may be best to just choose the one that is most closely aligned to the topic of the article.

Article Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com

About the Author:www.writing-fast-cash.com www.article-writing-secret.com /a>

Friday, December 5, 2008

Methods for creativity

Evolution. This is the method of incremental improvement. New ideas stem from other ideas, new solutions from previous ones, the new ones slightly improved over the old ones. Many of the very sophisticated things we enjoy today developed through a long period of constant incrementation. Making something a little better here, a little better there gradually makes it something a lot better--even entirely different from the original.

For example, look at the history of the automobile or any product of technological progress. With each new model, improvements are made. Each new model builds upon the collective creativity of previous models, so that over time, improvements in economy, comfort, and durability take place. Here the creativity lies in the refinement, the step-by-step improvement, rather than in something completely new. Another example would be the improvement of the common wood screw by what are now commonly called drywall screws. They have sharper threads which are angled more steeply for faster penetration and better holding. The points are self tapping. The shanks are now threaded all the way up on lengths up to two inches. The screws are so much better that they can often be driven in without pilot holes, using a power drill.

The evolutionary method of creativity also reminds us of that critical principle: Every problem that has been solved can be solved again in a better way. Creative thinkers do not subscribe to the idea that once a problem has been solved, it can be forgotten, or to the notion that "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." A creative thinker's philosophy is that "there is no such thing as an insignificant improvement."

Synthesis. With this method, two or more existing ideas are combined into a third, new idea. Combining the ideas of a magazine and an audio tape gives the idea of a magazine you can listen to, one useful for blind people or freeway commuters.

For example, someone noticed that a lot of people on dates went first to dinner and then to the theater. Why not combine these two events into one? Thus, the dinner theater, where people go first to eat and then to see a play or other entertainment.

Revolution. Sometimes the best new idea is a completely different one, an marked change from the previous ones. While an evolutionary improvement philosophy might cause a professor to ask, "How can I make my lectures better and better?" a revolutionary idea might be, "Why not stop lecturing and have the students teach each other, working as teams or presenting reports?"

For example, the evolutionary technology in fighting termites eating away at houses has been to develop safer and faster pesticides and gasses to kill them. A somewhat revolutionary change has been to abandon gasses altogether in favor of liquid nitrogen, which freezes them to death or microwaves, which bake them. A truly revolutionary creative idea would be to ask, "How can we prevent them from eating houses in the first place?" A new termite bait that is placed in the ground in a perimeter around a house provides one answer to this question.

Reapplication. Look at something old in a new way. Go beyond labels. Unfixate, remove prejudices, expectations and assumptions and discover how something can be reapplied. One creative person might go to the junkyard and see art in an old model T transmission. He paints it up and puts it in his living room. Another creative person might see in the same transmission the necessary gears for a multi-speed hot walker for his horse. He hooks it to some poles and a motor and puts it in his corral. The key is to see beyond the previous or stated applications for some idea, solution, or thing and to see what other application is possible.

For example, a paperclip can be used as a tiny screwdriver if filed down; paint can be used as a kind of glue to prevent screws from loosening in machinery; dishwashing detergents can be used to remove the DNA from bacteria in a lab; general purpose spray cleaners can be used to kill ants.

Changing Direction. Many creative breakthroughs occur when attention is shifted from one angle of a problem to another. This is sometimes called creative insight.

Basic Guidelines for Brainstorming

1. Suspend judgment. This is the most important rule. When ideas are brought forth, no critical comments are allowed. All ideas are written down. Evaluation is to be reserved for later. We have been trained to be so instantly analytic, practical, convergent in our thinking that this step is very difficult to observe, but it is crucial. To create and criticize at the same time is like watering and pouring weed killer onto seedlings at the same time.

2. Think freely. Freewheeling, wild thoughts are fine. Impossible and unthinkable ideas are fine. In fact, in every session, there should be several ideas so bizarre that they make the group laugh. Remember that practical ideas very often come from silly, impractical, impossible ones. By permitting yourself to think outside the boundaries of ordinary, normal thought, brilliant new solutions can arise. Some "wild" ideas turn out to be practical, too.

For example, when the subway was being dug under Victoria/state /> station in London/city />, water began seeping in. What are the ways to remedy this? Pumps, steel or concrete liners? The solution: freeze it. Horizontal holes were drilled into the wet soil and liquid nitrogen was pumped in, freezing the water until the tunnel could be dug and cemented.

We've already talked about gold plating electrical contacts. In another example, it's a fact that electric generators can produce more power if the windings can be kept cool. How would you cool them? Fans, air conditioned rooms? How about a wild idea? Make the electric windings out of copper pipe instead of wire and pump helium through them. That is what's actually done in some plants, doubling the output of the generators.

3. Tag on. Improve, modify, build on the ideas of others. What's good about the idea just suggested? How can it be made to work? What changes would make it better or even wilder? This is sometimes called piggybacking, hitchhiking, or ping ponging. Use another's idea as stimulation for your own improvement or variation. As we noted earlier, changing just one aspect of an unworkable solution can sometimes make it a great solution.

Example problem: How can we get more students at our school? Brainstorm idea: Pay them to come here. That sounds unworkable, but what about modifying it? Pay them with something other than money--like an emotional, spiritual, or intellectual reward or even a practical value-added reward like better networking or job contacts?

4. Quantity of ideas is important. Concentrate on generating a large stock of ideas so that later on they can be sifted through. There are two reasons for desiring a large quantity. First, the obvious, usual, stale, unworkable ideas seem to come to mind first, so that the first, say, 20 or 25 ideas are probably not going to be fresh and creative. Second, the larger your list of possibilities, the more you will have to choose from, adapt, or combine. Some brainstormers aim for a fixed number, like 50 or 100 ideas before quitting the session.

2. Organize the chaos. For groups of more than three or four, have a moderator to choose who will offer an idea next, so that several people don't speak at once. The moderator should prefer those with ideas that tag onto previous ideas, then those with new ideas. If necessary the moderator will also remind members of the group not to inject evaluation into the session (in case a member tsks, sneers, says, "Oh, come on," and so forth).

3. Keep the session relaxed and playful. The creative juices flow best when participants are relaxed and enjoying themselves and feeling free to be silly or playful. Eat popcorn or pizza or ice cream or make paper airplanes or doodles while you work, even if the problem itself is deadly serious like cancer or child abuse. Don't keep reminding everyone that "this is a serious problem" or "that was a tasteless joke."

As an aid to relaxation and a stimulation to creativity, it is often useful to begin with a ten-minute warm-up session, where an imaginary problem is tackled. Thinking about the imaginary problem loosens people up and puts them into a playful mood. Then the real problem at hand can be turned to. Some imaginary problem topics might include these:

how to heat a house more efficientlyhow to light a house with a single light bulbhow to improve your travel from home to workinventing a new game for the Olympicshow to improve institutional food without increasing its cost4. Limit the session. A typical session should be limited to about fifteen or twenty minutes. Longer than that tends to become dragging. You should probably not go beyond thirty minutes, though thirty is the "ideal" length recommended by Alex Osborn.

5. Make copies. After the session, neaten up the list and make copies for each member of the session. No attempt should be made to put the list in any particular order.

6. Add and evaluate. The next day (not the same day) the group should meet again. First, ideas thought of since the previous session should be shared (entered on the photocopied lists). Then the group should evaluate each of the ideas and develop the most promising ones for practical application.

During the evaluation session, wild ideas are converted to practical ones or used to suggest realistic solutions. The emphasis is now on analysis and real world issues. Some brainstormers divide the ideas found to be useful into three lists:

A. Ideas of immediate usefulness. These are the ideas you will be able to use right now.B. Areas for further exploration. These are ideas that need to be researched, followed up, thought about, discussed more fully, and so on.C. New approaches to the problem. These are ideas that suggest new ways of looking at the situation.

Idea Generating Questions

The Journalistic SixThese are the six key questions that journalism students are taught to answer somewhere in their news articles to make sure that they have covered the whole story. For creative thinkers, these questions stimulate thinking about the idea in question and allow approaches to it from various angles.

1. Who? (Actor or Agent) Who is involved? What are the people aspects of the problem? Who did it, will do it? Who uses it, wants it? Who will benefit, will be injured, will be included, will be excluded?

2. What? (Act) What should happen? What is it? What was done, ought to be done, was not done? What will be done if X happens? What went or could go wrong? What resulted in success?

3. When? (Time or Timing) When will, did, should this occur or be performed? Can it be hurried or delayed? Is a sooner or later time be preferable? When should the time be if X happens?

4. Where? (Scene or Source) Where did, will, should this occur or be performed? Where else is a possibility? Where else did the same thing happen, should the same thing happen? Are other places affected, endangered, protected, aided by this location? Effect of this location on actors, actions?

5. Why? (Purpose) Why was or is this done, avoided, permitted? Why should it be done, avoided, permitted? Why did or should actor do it? Different for another actor, act, time, place? Why that particular action, rule, idea, solution, problem, disaster, and not another? Why that actor, time, location, and not another?

6. How? (Agency or Method) How was it, could it be, should it be done, prevented, destroyed, made, improved, altered? How can it be described, understood? How did beginning lead to conclusion?

Historical ExaminationThese questions are especially useful for generating ideas for improving something (the evolutionary approach), but they also help to break thinking out of the evolutionary mode and put it into the revolutionary mode by returning the thinker to the origin and purpose of the idea or solution. By returning to the roots of the problem, a new vision can be created.

1. Essence. What is it? object, concept? What is it made of? What is its real, elementary nature? What are its parts? What is it like, unlike? (Similes and metaphors help in understanding abstractions). What is it related to? What are its various kinds, facets, shades? What is it a part of? Which part of it is unusual or outstanding? In what forms does it appear? Is it typical or atypical of its kind? What is it not? What is it opposed to? How is it different? What makes it different?

2. Origin. Where did it come from? How was it made or conceived or developed? What caused it? If an idea, how did it arise? Are its origins meaningful now? What makes it spread or multiply or gain adherents? What was the reason behind it? Is the reason still valid or useful? Why? Why not? Is it still needed? What influences it? Does it change? Can it, should it be changed, strengthened, eliminated? What could have prevented, delayed, encouraged it?

3. Purpose. What does it do? How does it work? What is its purpose? Is the purpose fulfilled? Better than by its predecessor? Can it, should it be improved? Is it helpful or harmful in intent? What are its implications; what does it lead to? Does it have obvious or hidden consequences? Does it have more than one purpose? What are its immediate effects and its long-term effects? Is its actual function the same as the original purpose intended by its originator? Can it be put to other uses?

4. Import. What is its overall significance? What is its significance to man, environment, civilization, happiness, virtue, safety, comfort, etc.? How is it important? Is it a key element in life, civilization, local area, one man's existence? Is it necessary? Is it desirable?

5. Reputation. What do you think about it? What are your underlying assumptions? What do others think about it? Do you find consensus, division? Is it good, bad, helpful, harmful in fact or in the opinion of others? Can you resolve any differences between truth and opinion, intent, and actuality, pro and con members? What weaknesses are commonly identified? Are there obvious areas of desired change or improvement or elimination?

Some general guidelines for teachers, which apply to developing critical and creative capacities in students of all ages, would be to:

choose real objects and experiences over workbooks and textbooks in developing understanding whenever possible. For example, when studying ponds and pond life, a trip to the pond is important and more appropriate than the use of books or films alone.consistently allow for students' input into establishing the criteria for the evaluation of classroom activities, assignments and behaviors.choose to display students' work over commercially prepared displays. For example, while commercial alphabet displays are readily available, only students can create an alphabet which will be personally meaningful to them and contain their own experiences and categories.consistently offer and encourage students to seek alternative ways of responding to structured art activities, fulfilling learning requirements, or completing a craft, project or assignment. While 2 + 2 should always equal 4, there are at least 100 ways to make a paper mouse

Best of wishes as we all prepare for Christmas-may all be well with you as you travel, buy gifts for your loved ones, call and visit all your friends and many more activities you engage yourself in in this season of love and happiness-Peace!

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Hello, are you new to blogging or are you a long term blogger that wants to make it big in blogging in the year 2009. Here are a few tips that will help you make it.

1. Create more blogs on different niches and start working on them right away.2. Get/hire a freelance to write and post articles for your blogs in blog directories.3. Borrow articles from article directories to post on your blogs when you can't write and maximize that time writing and posting articles of rich content on your blogs.5. Try to comment on as many as possible Blogs/sites that allows you to include your blog URL on their comment page.6. Exploit YOUTUBE and put many funny videos as possible with your blog URL added at the top and bottom and even in the video.7. Exploit all avenues that will enables you to promote your blog such as chatting on yahoo chat and even Google new chat.8. Get more affiliate marketing and PPC adverts on your blog.9. Try to write on new niches as well.10. And lastly pray that all things work for good for you and everyone else out there who is trying to make a living online. God bless you. Amen.